Because I am long winded (an after affect of my problem with speeches -- loving my own voice), I have broken the comments into three posts:
- The People: Best and Supporting Actor Nominations, Best Director
- The Technology: Cinematography; Costumes and Sound; and that stuff that forces directors to have characters repeatedly walk around with lances pointed straight at the audience, no matter what century they're supposed to be in
- The Movies: Best Picture and Scripts
and my personal choice 
The fun in this is not hearing the sound of my own keystrokes, but your dissent, so I'm looking forward to hearing new and different reasons that I'm an uninformed idiot. Let's have at it:
The People
Best Actor
- Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart -- Alright, this was The Wrestler for country music fans (and NOT filmed in Jersey). But Bridges was awesome. So much so, that I'd be loathe to buy him a real drink for fear that we saw a glimpse of his real life.
- George Clooney, Up in the Air -- I became a huge Clooney fan after his brooding performance in Michael Clayton and he made me laugh out loud in Burn After Reading. This performance was not up to those levels.
- Colin Firth, A Single Man -- I enjoyed his performance in Love Actually (yes, I admit it -- I like that movie) but it gave no inkling he had these chops. And, no, it's not because he kissed another man on screen. He did a ton of communicating with sparse dialog. Excellent!
- Morgan Freeman, Invictus -- I'm a huge Morgan Freeman fan (ever since Seven). This was a solid performance of a well-known historical character which would have garnered him an Oscar in a year without Meryl Streep writing the text book on how to portray someone we all know. He won't win, because...
- Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
-- There were several HOLY S@$% performances. This is one of them. I was blown away (sorry for the IED reference). He should win and will win.
Best Actress
- Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side -- I am not a Sandra fan, so this performance caught me completely by surprise. She sold me completely that she was a Southern Belle with all of the trappings, as well as a turbulent conscience (though, if I were directing, I would've given her Southern Belle implants). In another year, she gets a statue.
- Helen Mirren, The Last Station -- I was sold (and not just because she's British...alright, it was a little bit because she's a Brit). Played a bitch to a T.
- Carey Mulligan, An Education -- Amazing, but I have to say that you men out there who are voting for her are way out of line. Admit it: you had a change in blood flow from reading Lolita. Not right. Not right at all. Particularly because she's mine.
- Gabourey Sidibe, Precious -- Another excellent performance without much dialogue. She will win because A) she's not attractive, B) she showed unbelievable range in the switch between the 'reality' scenes and her fantasy escapes, and C) because her mother in the movie was a crack addict. It was a MOVIE people. She was excellent, and will win, but should lose to:
- Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia -- There are few words to describe this woman's talents. And believe me, I'm not a bandwagon kind of guy. I get tired of hearing how amazing she is, but then you see the performance and there's no denying it. We all know Julia Child. We all love the Dan Ackroyd spoof of her in SNL (and kudos to the director for including that scene -- it was on all of our minds). But Meryl Streep made you forget the parody and showed us a real life character without a single cringe or smirk moment. My choice. (One quick J&J note: Am I the only one who was driven to distraction by Chris Messina's dialogue with food in his mouth?!? Did the script read "Ummm.....good [let a chunk of something hit the table]"?)
Best Supporting Actress
- Penelope Cruz, Nine -- I missed this performance (and shame on me...I know she can act -- see Vicky Cristina Barcelona if you don't believe me -- and she's incredibly gorgeous). I just couldn't make it to a movie with a Rotten Tomato meter rating of 49%. Sorry PC.
- Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air -- Loved her, but she wasn't even the best actress in her movie.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart -- I was pleasantly surprised. It would've been understandable had she been overshadowed by Jeff Bridges' stellar performance, but she wasn't (despite the fact that she has no chin).
- Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air -- Incredible performance for a newcomer (at least to me -- I can't make the Twilight scene...my daughters are too young and my girlfriends are too old).
- Mo'Nique, Precious -- The part was written to generate an Oscar and Mo'Nique held up her end of the bargain. I have never met her, yet I fear her. No way she doesn't win.
Best Supporting Actor
- Matt Damon, Invictus -- He did a nice job with the bizarre S. African accent, but I liked him better in Rounders and Dogma.
- Woody Harrelson, The Messenger -- In another year, he should get a statue. He was amazing in this "filmed in New Jersey" sleeper.
- Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones -- I enjoy his performances (even this year's in Julie and Julia), but this movie was nothing like Lovely. He may even have been nominated because he looked so amazing standing in the pile of dung that was Lovely Bones. Sorry, Stanley.
- Christopher Plummer, The Last Station -- wonderful portrayal of someone most of the West really doesn't know. This movie (and his performance) were sleepers, but alas, no award. Because...
- Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds -- The next of the HOLY S@$% performances. I didn't live through WWII (recall I am part of The Greediest Generation), but imagine Waltz channeled the quintessential Nazi.
Best Director
- James Cameron, Avatar -- While I have great respect for his multi-year investment in the technological advances this movie introduced, he should NOT win for Best Director. One thing will save us (or the lack of things -- see below)
- Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds -- I loved this movie. Very inventive, entertaining, truly well put together. He loses.
- Jason Reitman, Up in the Air -- The movie truly was well done, but I fear Jason will get undeserved support due to his lineage from those of us who walk around saying "There was one?" whenever we are confused.
- Lee Daniels, Precious -- One of the two (perhaps three) reasons Cameron won't win. The movie was inventive (see the fantasy scenes) AND there has never been an African American director Oscar winner. Only John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood) has been previously nominated. The other two reasons Cameron won't win:
- Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker -- There are two things every Best Director winner has had that Kathryn doesn't. Yup, those. There has never been a female Best Director nominee, let alone winner. My vote, and I suspect the Academy's.
No comments:
Post a Comment